The Special Vehicle Team (SVT) at Ford entered the truck market with the SVT Lightning performance truck. The new 2010 Ford SVT Raptor shows that the make headed in a very different direction with their latest performance pickup. The SVT name became well known around the light truck market when the supercharged Lightning models were released. The SVT Lightning was a serious on-road performance truck, holding the record for quite some time for the fastest production truck. The 2010 Raptor will pack every bit as much bite as the previous generation, but this SVT pickup is meant to hit high speeds on unpaved roads. The SVT division built this F150 to handle all of the rigors of intense off-road races like the Baja 1000. There is little that the Raptor cannot handle after proving itself in a simulation of one of the toughest truck tests in the world.

The entire drivetrain is beefed up, starting with the engines. The base engine for the 2010 Raptor is the 5.4L Triton V8, offering 320 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque but for those who have a bigger need for off-road speed, the new 6.2L V8 is available with 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. Next, Ford’s Special Vehicle Team went to work on the F150s suspension, relocating the shocks to make for a more stable, wider track in the front and rear. The shocks themselves are heavily improved upon compared to the “normal” F150, sporting dual performance shocks with help from Fox Racing Shox to offer a comfortable ride on the road without compromising off-road capabilities. The final key alteration to the Raptor is the unique SVT 17” wheels wrapped in off road ready tires. BF Goodrich All-Terrain TA/KO 315-70-17 wrap the black SVT rims, and these tires are among the best available tire for a mixture of on and off-road use.

The 2010 Ford SVT Raptor also receives a handful of external changes, such as the massive flat black grille treatment and side vents bearing the SVT logo. The Raptor is expected to have a base price of $38,995 when equipped with the 5.4L engine, and when fitted with the 6.2L V8 the price is expected to be $41,995. There are a handful of packages, such as a luxury trim package that adds power leather seats, as well as an exterior decal package that gives the Raptor the same race ready look as the Ford test models.